Horn



P 1 1939- T. J. SCOFIELD 2,155,366

HORN

Filed Aug. 12, 1 937 U III a INVENT UR .55 BY dwze @fimm ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 18, 1939 UNITED STATES PATE ToI-"FICE V HORN 1 Theodore J. Scofield, Jackson, Michl, assignor to The Sparks-Withington Company, Jackson, Mich., a corporation of Ohio 1 Application August 12 1937," Serial No. 158,77

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in a horn or warning signal operated by an electric motor of the magnetic type in which a vibratory diaphragm is supported between a pair of case or housing sections, and the objects of my improvements are, first, to provide a relay-operated switch in the circuit for the motor, said relay being adapted to be controlled by a manually oper-' ated switch whereby the relatively heavy current, necessary for operating a motor of the magnetic type, will not be passed through the manually operated switch; second, to form at least one of the diaphragm housing sections from a sheet metal stamping; and, third, to utilize a portion of the housing section, which heretofore has been cut out and discarded, to form a frame for the relay integral with the housing sections.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a transverse central sectional view of a horn or warning signal embodying the various features of this invention, taken substantially in the plane of the line I-I, Figure 2.

, Figure 2 is a plan view of the motor illustrated in Figure l, with the cover removed.

accordance with this invention.

, Figure 4 is a detail sectional View taken substantially on line 4-4, Figure 2, showing parts in elevation.

v, Figures 5, 6 and '7 are detail sectional views taken respectively on lines 5-5, 6-6 and 1-1,

Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a wiring diagram showing the electric circuit included in the present invention.

The signalling device, as shown more particularly in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, comprises two circular diaphragm case or housing sections I and I I having a diaphragm I2 clamped between them by bolts or screws I3 passing through aligned holes provided in the marginal portions of the housing sections I0 and I land diaphragm I2.

. These diaphragm housing sections II] and II are, as shown, composedof sheet metal plates having their central portions I0 and II pressed laterally in opposite directions and arranged in opposite relation to each other to form a' diaphragm chamber I4 between said sections. The front diaphragm housing section I0 is provided with a centrally" disposed forwardly extending annular flange I to which is secured in any suitproper or projector II.

I6, a horn The rear diaphragm housing section II constitutes a mounting plate for an electric motor for operating the diaphragm I2. For this purpose the housing section I I has the central portion I I thereof 'providedflwith'an opening I8 arranged 5 substantially centrally thereof for the reception of a laminated frame I9 of .an electro-magnet therethrough. The frame I9 in this instance is a substantially rectangular shaped member and extends from within the chamber I4 adjacent the '10 inner side of the housing section II outwardly or rearwardly through the opening I8. The frame I9 maybe secured to the housing section I I in any suitable manner as by laterally disposed feet 2| iormed'integrally with the frame and which are spot-welded to the inner side of the housing section. The frame I9 is provided with a pair of recesses or slots as indicated at 22, Figures 5 and 6, extending'inwardly from the outer or rear side thereof and "disposed transversely of the frame at opposite sides of the center thereof for supportably receiving the usually pre-formed field coil 23.

An armature 24 is mounted over the outer or rear face of theframe I9 and is operatively connected to the diaphragm I2, in this instance by a stud 25, adjustably clamped to thearmature as indicated in Figure, l. The stud 25 extends inwardly or forwardly from the armature 24 through a centrally disposed opening 26 provided in the frame I9 and is connected to the central portion 30 of the diaphragm I2 by a nut 21 screw-threaded on the inner end of the stud 25 and suitable washers as indicated at 28 mounted on the stud at opposite sides of the diaphragm.

As is usual with this type of motor, an automatic circuit breaker or interrupter is provided for intermittently opening and closing the current for coil 23. This circuit breaker comprises a pair of contact arms 39 and 3| mounted in any suitable manner in a contact stack 32 connected to the housing section I I at one side of the frame I9, the arms to be supported by said section in cooperative relation with each other and with the stud 25. The contact arms 30 and 3| are connected in the'electric circuit for the motor and operated in the usual manner by the armature 24 and stud 25 to effect intermittent energizing and de-energizing of the field coil 23 in synchronism with-the movement of the diaphragm I2 away from and toward the magnet frame I 9 in the usual ma'nner.- I i i As indicated inthe drawing, I have provided the outer orrear end portion of the stud 25 with a yielding support 34 which in thisinstance comprises a flat spring member 35 connected to the stud 25 adjacent the outer or rear face of the armature 24 by a nut 36 and washer 31. The other end of the member 35 is supportedly connected to the rear diaphragm housing section II by a stud or post 38 secured in any suitable manner to said housing-section at one side of the opening IS.

The opening I8 is usually formed by stamping out a portion of the plate fromwhich the housing section II is made'during the'formation of said section, which stamped out portion has heretofore been discarded. In this instance, however, I utilize at least a portion of the member stamped out to form the opening l8, to form a frame 40 for supporting a relay 4 I. The relay 4| is so connected with the contact arms 30 and 3| that upon actuation of a manually controlled switch or horn button, the circuit through the electromagnet for the horn will be completed through the relay so as to avoid passing the heavy current required to operatethe horn electromagnet through the manually controlled switch or horn button.

This frame 49 comprises a central body por tion or plate 42"and a pair of laterally disposed arms '43'and 44 extending from opposite sides of said body portion. The body portion 42 is formed withone end thereof integral with the housing portion II at one end of the opening 3 and is pressed outwardly or rearwardly from said opening so as to extend from the housing section at substantially right angles thereto, as indicated in Figure 3. The arms 43 and 44 are pressed laterally from the body portion 42 to extend therefrom away from the opening I8 in spaced substantially parallel relation with each other. One of the arms 43 is utilized to form a core for the relay 4| and for this purpose has the relay coil 45 wound thereon intermediate the ends thereof, as indicated in Figure '7. A pair of insulating washers or plates 46 may, as shown, be mounted on the arm or core 43 at opposite sides of the coil 45. The inner plate 46 rests against a pair of shoulders 41 provided on the arm 43 in slightly spaced relation to the body portion 42, while the outer end of the arm or core 43 is upset; as indicated at 43', Figures 4 and 5, to hold the outer plate 46 in place on said arm.

i The other arm 44 is utilized to support the armature 48of the relay in cooperative relation with the outer'end of the arm or core 43. This armature 48 is a relatively light member stamped, in this instance, from sheet metal and is connected at one end to the arm 44 by means of an L- shaped flat metal spring 49 which has one arm thereof connected to one end of the armature 48 many suitable manner, as by rivets 50. The other arm of the spring 49 is connected to the arm 44 by a pair ofscrews 5|. The spring 49 is electrically insulated from the arm 44 by insulating plates 53 positioned at opposite sides of the sprm'gaiid sleeves 54 mounted on screws 5|, as shown in Figures 4 and 7.

A terminal plate 55 is also clamped to the arm 44 by the screws 5| and is insulated from said arm and screws by the plates 53 and sleeves 54, the terminal plate 55 being mounted adjacent the spring 49 to be in electrical connection therewith. The terminal plate 55 has a lug 56' bent upwardly therefrom and which is connected to one end of the coil 45 of the relay 4| by a Wire 56 secured to said lug by solder or other suitable means, as indicated in Figure 4. The terminal plate 55 has the, outward end portion thereof provided with a threaded aperture .51 for the reception of a $.91 b wh ch 9 $;fiddnq j lql gt iowire,or

conductor 59 leading from a suitable source of potential as battery B, Figure 8, may be connected. The other end of the coil 45 is connected in this instance by a wire 60 to a terminal screw or bolt 6| mounted on the upper or outer end of the body portion 42, said screw 6| being electrically insulated from the body portion on plate 42 by washers 52 and asleeve '63 composed of insulating material and mounted on the screw, as indicated in Figure 5.

The rear diaphragm housing section I also has a lug 64 stamped outwardly or rearwardly therefrom adjacent the opening l8 and at one side of the frame 40, as indicated in Figure 3. This lug 64 is for the purpose of supporting a contact plate 65 which is secured to the lug in insulated spaced relation thereto by means of a supporting block 66 composed of any suitable insulating material and screws or bolts 61, as shown in Figure 6. The contact plate 65 has a contact point 68 secured thereto to be engaged by a similar contact point 69 secured to the outer or free end of the arma-- ture 4B. The contact point 69 is normally maintained in slightly spaced relation to the contact point 68 by the spring 49. The terminal'plate 65 is electrically connected with the upper or rigid contact arm 39 ofthe automatic circuit breaker bya wire 79. connected at one end to the screw or bolt 6? and at the other end to said contact arm by a screw 1|, having screw-threaded engagement with a laterally extending terminal lug 12 connected to or formed integral with said contact arm 30, as indicated in Figure 2.

The circuit breaker, motor, and the relay just described may be enclosed by a cover 14, a por tion of which is shown in Figure 1. This cover 14 is of usual construction, being an inverted capshaped member having the marginal edge thereof surrounding the rear housing section II and resting upon the marginal edge portion of the front housing section It, the front housings'ection Nl being of a slightly greater diameter than the rear housing section I! as shown in Figure 1, for supporting the cover 14.

The operation of the circuit for the electromagnet and relay will now be evident by referring to Figure 8 in connection with the remaining figures of the drawing. In the wiring diagram shown in Figure 8, the circuit for the relay 4| is provided with a manually operated switch or push button S which is connected with one side of the battery B by ground G. It will now be evident that when the switch or push button S is closed a circuit is completed from battery B through wire 59, terminal plate 55, wire 56 to relay coil 45 and thence through wire 60, switch S and ground G back to the battery B. The current thus passing through the relay coil 45 'actuates the armature 48 and closes a circuit from the battery B through the Wire 59, terminal plate 55, spring 49 to the armature 48 and thence through the contact points 69' and 68, plate 65 and wire 70 to contact arm 39; thence through contact points 39 and 3| to the contact arm 3|,

and through Wire 16 to the field coil 23, wire 11 broken at the contact points 30' and 3|, current continues tofiow but to a lesser amount through a resistance 78 shunted across the contact points 30 and 3| in a manner and fora purpose well understood in. this art. The resultant partial'de-energization of the field coil 23 releases the armature 24, whereupon the circuit is re-established through the contacts 30 and 3| and the armature 24 is again drawn toward the frame IS. The action just described is rapidly repeated so long as the horn button S is depressed, resulting in a corresponding actuation of the diaphragm l2 and the emission of an audible warning signal through the projector l'I.

It will be apparent that the relay construction hereinbefore described is equally applicable to a duel horn structure or to a structure wherein three or more horns are connected to operate together in lieu of the single horn installation illustrated by way of example. Furthermore, it will be obvious that the often used two wire system could readily be substituted for the one wire system shown and described in the instant application.

While the construction and operation described herein are particularly simple, practical and eflicient, it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

In a warning signalhaving a vibratory diaphragm and an electric motor means operatively connected with the diaphragm for vibrating the same, means supporting said motor and diaphragm in cooperative relation with each other including a mounting plate, said plate having an integral portion thereof pressed outward to extend laterally therefrom and provided with spaced members, one member being adapted to form the core of a relay for the motor circuit and the other member being adapted to form a support for the armature of said relay.

THEODORE J. SCOFIELD. 

